Implantable iris device for the eye, and method of installing same

Abstract

An implantable artificial iris device which takes the form of a thin, generally annular, single-radially-split wafer, or web, of a bio-compatible, flexible material which can be colored in various ways to replicate the appearance of its predecessor, damaged natural iris. The device permits and encourages a surgical procedure which involves gentle and very simple circular threading (or snaking) of the device circularly longitudinally through a tiny slit created as an incision near the periphery of a cornea. The device is suitable for easy placement within the environment of an eye, either within the region known as the ciliary sulcus or in the region of meeting or joinder of the anterior and posterior capsules and within the realm of the capsular bag.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A single-piece artificial, implantable iris device designed for placement in a subject's eye to replace, at least partially, the natural iris in that eye, said device comprising 
       an elongate, generally annular body formed of a thin expanse of an at least partially light-blocking material, and having an axis of revolution symmetry, and inner and outer, generally circular, different-radius edges, including a larger radius edge and a smaller radius edge, that generally centrally circumsurround the axis, and  
       a single, generally radially disposed slit in the body extending in the body's expanse material between, and opening to, each of said edges, and defining a pair adjacent ends in said body,  
       said edges, throughout their respective length, following generally substantially non-deviating circular paths, and said expanse material substantially completely spanning the area bounded by said edges and said ends.  
     
     
       2. The device of claim  1 , wherein said slit extends nominally along a straight line which is a radial line relative to said axis. 
     
     
       3. The device of claims  1  or  2 , wherein said body is colored in a manner which substantially matches the color of the natural iris which the device is intended at least partially to replace. 
     
     
       4. The device of claims  1  or  2 , wherein said body is variegatedly colored in a manner which substantially matches the variegated color of the natural iris which the device is intended at least partially to replace. 
     
     
       5. A method of implanting an artificial, implantable iris device designed for use in a subject's eye to replace, at least partially, the natural iris in that eye, where the device takes the form of a single, thin and flexible annular body defined by a thin expanse of a light-blocking material, and having (1) inner and outer, generally circular inner and outer edges that generally circularly parallel a generally circular long axis in the body, and (2) a generally radially extending slit that extends between and opens to both edges to define opposite ends of the material in the body, and where the expanse material substantially span the area bounded by the body's edges and ends, said method comprising 
       preparing a peripheral incision in the cornea in the selected subject's eye, thus to afford mechanical access to a selected placement region in the interior of the eye,  
       inserting the device into the eye interior by rotationally threading the device, along its generally circular long axis, through the prepared incision, and progressing from one of the device's body's opposite ends, and  
       locating, and rotationally orienting, the inserted device within the selected placement region in the eye to position it with a desired orientation in that region.  
     
     
       6. The method of claim  5 , wherein the selected placement region is the ciliary sulcus in the eye, and said inserting and orienting steps lead to positioning of the device with its outer edge tucked within the ciliary sulcus. 
     
     
       7. The method of claim  5 , wherein the selected placement region is beneath the anterior capsule of the capsular bag in the eye, and wherein the method further includes preparing an access opening through the anterior capsule, and wherein, further, said inserting and orienting steps lead to positioning of the device with its outer edge tucked within the capsular bag in the region where the anterior and posterior capsules meet. 
     
     
       8. The method of claim  7 , wherein device placement performs the further step of physically separating the anterior and posterior capsules in the region of meeting therebetween.